Seven Signs
by crizarah
Summary: At the Senbatsu Training Camp, Ryoma is lonely. No Akari, no Rai, and most of all, no... "Buchou? What are you doing here?" ... "Seven signs. Why won’t you accept it Ryoma?" Ryoma finds out just how accurate...ly scary...Akari’s predictions are.


_**Seven Signs (TezuRyo Oneshot)**_

**Disclaimer: **Standard disclaimers apply. No one takes Akari, or you face the wrath of a sadistic masochist. (An oxymoron in itself, I know.)

**Summary: **Junior Senbatsu timeline. Seven signs. Why won't you accept it, Ryoma? Ryoma finds out just how accurate(ly scary) Akari's predictions are.

_**--Seven Signs--**_

Ryoma ended the call. Akari would surely kill him if her phone bill for the unit he was currently holding had more than four digits, and International calls weren't at all cheap either. Ah well, he wouldn't possibly survive a week without pestering her, and it wasn't like she couldn't pay for the bills. The girl was even richer than Atobe, for kami-sama's sake! Oops, I didn't just say that. Forget I said anything.

An uncharacteristic grin on his face, the freshman prodigy hauled himself out of bed, wondering how she was doing in her training for her sport – or if she would be sleeping or training her ass off that night.

Akari, he noted, had been wearing a smile that other people would have welcomed. He knew better. It was a smile akin to that of a certain tensai and a certain effeminate buchou.

A predatory smile.

Okay, so maybe not, just a tad too all-knowing. And plotting. And eerily almost always accurate. An Akari that's all-knowing, plotting and eerily accurate is an Akari you'd rather not know. But is the Akari you _should_ know. Complicated, huh?

'_Good thing we're separated by oceans,'_ he thought with a shudder, then stopped. _'Just when did distance hinder her from doing things?'_

Suppressing another shudder, he trudged down the flights of stairs. His mind wandered aimlessly, mainly on what their group would do with Ryuzaki-sensei in the hospital – and what Akari was up to.

Without the latter helping out at the camp, Ryoma resigned himself to a dull day.

_**--Seven Signs--**_

'Dull' was the one word he would **not** have used to describe the events that followed. Why?

"Buchou's back from Germany!" Ryoma squealed – yes, that's right. He squealed – when Akar answered her – his actually – phone later that afternoon when he slipped from the group. "And he's assigned to our team!"

There was shuffling before the 3G feature was activated. When the screen flickered to life, it showed Akari wiping the sweat off with a towel as she took greedy drafts of water. "So far, how's the celebration? Tell me about the party later. And don't stay up that late, you're training."

"…Kai…It's barely eight in the morning there in France, and you already have your data system running," he mused. "How'd you know about the party that hasn't even started yet?"

"You're going to a party. Do you want to be haunted by point-probabilities?" she smirked. "Besides, I woke up more than two hours ago. More than enough time to perk up my systems. Not quite enough to wipe the floor with Sekichi's butt when we sparred."

There was an outburst at Akari's end of the line and a verbal exchange took place, with Ryoma hearing everything when Akari switched to loudspeaker. "You're just sore because my brother beat you – again!"

"Shut up, Saki! I'm not talking to you! And yes, that happens, quite a lot actually, so I'm not sore. Rivalry helps you improve."

"Facts actually state that _you_, Saki, have never been able to give Akari a terrible loss, despite the vast age gap between the two of you."

"Aww, aniki, I was coming to your defense!"

"Your twenty-minute-older brother doesn't need you to come to his defense at times like this," came a chorus of Akari's and Ryoma's voice.

Their conversation lasted until Akari and company's thirty-minute break was over. But before hanging up, she said, "I'll be sending you something. Read and think."

Moments later, the phone vibrated and Ryoma checked the message. His brow took a trip to the moon. On top of the screen were seven words: **Seven Signs to Know You're In Love**

_**--Seven Signs--**_

Ryoma was pissed. More than twice, Atobe had lured his Tezuka away to talk "privately" as he put it.

…

Wait. **His** Tezuka?

"**Seven Signs You Are In Love**

**You can't wait to see him. And when you do, you somehow end up telling someone. (i. e., best friend, mom, sister, yourself in the mirror…or if luck hates you, you'll end up telling him.)**

**You want his attention for yourself and only yourself. You tend to be possessive and therefore don't want him mingling with anyone else.**

Ryoma balked at the possibility but was soon rendered thoughtless. A flying Dunk Smash hitting you on the head tends to do that.

_**--Seven Signs--**_

The parched freshman was making his way to the nearest water fountain to, of course, drink. The pedestal of much-needed water came into view – and so did the person who'd been intruding his thoughts.

They nodded in silent greeting and reached for the fountain's nozzle. Guess what. Their hands met? Hmm, probably that would have happened if the younger of the two had not jerked his hand back.

"Erm…Go ahead, buchou. I don't mind waiting," he said, pulling his cap down. There was no way he'd let the blush on his cheeks be seen, no matter how faint.

After more cajoling, Tezuka drank from the fountain first. Ryoma watched his every movement. Every muscle twitching as he reached for the tap and opened his mouth. The sparkling droplets of water as it failed to enter his mouth and proceeded to roll off on his cheeks and chin. The way he wiped his mouth on his sleeve when he was done.

Realizing his thoughts, Ryoma blushed instantaneously.

"I didn't know you were the type to wait."

"I don't mind waiting," the freshman replied casually. Pulling his cap to cover the darker shade of red, he bent down to drink. _'Especially if it's for you – Wait!'_

**It's okay for you to suffer as long as he's not, however trivial 'suffer' is. In simpler terms, you don't want him uncomfortable. If he is, you want to end it as soon as possible, wanting to aid in its disappearance.**

He choked, suddenly remembering the text. Tezuka slapped his back automatically. Things would have turned out okay for Ryoma had the Senior not gripped his shoulder and asked, "Are you okay?" Never mind the genuine concern normally found in Oishi's voice.

"I-I'm fine," Ryoma managed to get out through his fit of coughing. Seeing his buchou's face at such a close proximity, he blushed furiously.

"Echizen? Are you sick? You seem red." As he said it, Tezuka placed his hand on Ryoma's forehead, making the latter blush even more.

**At the least body contact, your heart rate speeds up.**

"I…Washroom break!" The panicking freshman practically ran from the bewildered Senior. Reaching his said destination, he locked himself in. Hoping to tone down the hue on his cheeks, he decided to splash his face with the cool water.

'_What's wrong with me?'_ he asked himself in the mirror. _'All I wanted was to play in buchou's team. To be the player he'll be proud of. To stay in the same tennis team in the long run – maybe for life. __**Wait**__.'_

There was something seriously wrong with that statement. Ah, that's right. Maybe it was because:

**You want to be with him for the rest of your life.**

"AAARRRGGGHHH!!!"

_**--Seven Signs--**_

Taking a walk in the middle of the night was something he did not often do. Not when Ryoma could be using that time to practice, or sleep, or annoy the hell out of Akari. Not when _Tezuka_ could be using that time for studying the lessons he missed in his stay in Germany.

Certainly not when Ryoma found himself walking beside Tezuka.

The walk was silent, but the freshman was happy with it. Just as long as he had Tezuka by his side…

**You're content with just being by his side—**

He nearly slapped himself.

_**--Seven Signs--**_

"Echizen." He looked up and saw the dark sky, the moon, and the stars reflected in the eyes that were placed on his starstrucking face. "I hear you're having some troubles with Japanese History."

He nodded. _'Safe ground,'_ he thought. _'I can't be a Regular if I get failing marks. With the fact that I'm in Class 2 with a ranking to maintain, I can't get an average lower than 88 and Japanese History is pulling me down because I've been studying US History so far in my previous schools in America. A captain assisting his subordinate in that area is normal…Hey, since when did I start thinking like Kai?'_

"After the Senbatsu Games, would you be willing to spend some time studying with me before my flight back to Germany?**(1)**" Tezuka asked, startling Ryoma out of his thinking state.

'_Relax. Captain, remember. Captain.'_ Not trusting his voice, the freshman only nodded. He felt another blush coming when he saw the Senior's lips curl up ever-so-slightly. He felt like dancing.

**'re content with just being by his side—**

–**but you are ecstatic when he acknowledges your presence.**

The two of them parted ways, but not before a small exchange of words.

"Echizen."

"Hmn?"

"Yudan sezu ni ikou." **(2)**

Pulling down his cap, Ryoma walked to his room. "Mada mada dane, buchou."

_**--Seven Signs--**_

Tezuka watched Ryoma's retreating form disappear into his room. He himself turned and started walking, muttering to himself, however uncharacteristic that was for him.

"Did that pass for a date?...Did he just say yes?"

_**--Seven Signs--**_

"He said that?"

"Yes!" Ryoma was grinning like a fool. It was sheer will that kept him from jumping and kept his voice down. Still, that did not mean his face didn't show it. That's the purpose of a blanket draped over your head in a ridiculously hot summer night. "And he said it was a date! _Hesaiditwasadate_!"

The all-knowing smile on Akari's face became an all-knowing smirk. For once, the green-haired freshman did not notice and continued his excited ramblings. Only when he paused for breath did he see that all-too-familiar cocky, erudite, cognizant, and triumphant smirk.

"…Kai?" The female Senior cocked her head to one side, not ceasing to eat her hour-late lunch. "Where'd you get the list?"

Her smirk grew bigger as she speared a piece of beer sausage. **(3)** "Why?"

"It was…" He wondered how to phrase his words. Ah heck, this is Akari, and no matter how twisted his words came out, she'd always understand. And the 3G feature of both their phones helped expressions cross the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea, and the Mediterranean.

"…It seemed so calculated. Like someone observed, took down notes and inferred, and did it for a long time…"

"…It was so accurate…So accurate that it was a chronological blow-by-blow ordeal…"

"…So accurately calculated…"

"…So…"

"…So…_you_…!"

His jaw slackened as he trailed off. No need to ask, the smirk showed it all.

Still smirking, "I need to go now. Duty calls. Oh, before that…" Akari winked. "…I think you'll find this useful."

She ended the call, very much enjoying Ryoma's reaction.

1 Message received from Ryoma.(4)

Ten words immediately showed themselves on the screen.

"**Ten Ways to Know He's Got It Bad For You"**

_**--Seven Signs--**_

Not sure whether or not he does. But since I saw an episode guide saying that the Seigaku team will visit him in Germany and Ryoma gets a nice experience…Well, I guess I decided for myself. Anyway, if I got it wrong, don't hesitate to tell me. It would be much appreciated.

Yudan sezu ni ikou…Does anyone still need translations? (grin) Anyway, since I put it in (why did I?) it means _Don't let your guard down._

I think beer sausages are more popular in Germany (cough) because these quite spicy (as my brother said…it actually wasn't, but I don't know…I'm Fuji-ish with these things) things are consumed with beer, hence the name. But please let it pass. You can eat that in France, right? And besides, I'm craving…(drooling on keyboard)

For those who didn't get it at the start, Akari's phone is with Ryoma, Ryoma's is with Akari.

_**--Seven Signs--**_

**That's it! I hope you guys enjoyed it…I'm still brooding about school…School starts tomorrow, June 4, 2008. It is 2:10 in the morning of June 3, 2008. I typed this VERY EARLY, considering the fact that I'm only in the Prefecturals arc of my **_**Neverending Promise**_** fic. Anyway, I hope you like it. I'm currently writing the Regional Finals Arc in my (really thick) notebook and I can't wait to let you guys read it. Sorry if it sucks. At least when the computer crashes, I won't lose all my files, right? (nervous laughter) Review, ne?**

_**Written: June 1, 2008**_

_**Typed: June 3, 2008**_

_**Edited: June 3, 2008**_


End file.
